The Georgian Interior Ministry and Revenue Service said on July 22 that their officers seized undeclared USD 100,000 from an Iranian citizen, who, they said, was trying to smuggle the cash into Georgia.

The cash, hidden in a concealed area of a passenger bus, was seized at the Vale border crossing point on the Turkish border, according to the Interior Ministry.

The Iranian citizen was fined and the cash confiscated. The Interior Ministry said that investigation was ongoing to find out what the smuggled cash was intended for.

According to the Finance Ministry’s revenue service, Georgian customs officers seized undeclared USD 60,000 in cash from two Iranian citizens at the Tbilisi airport in June when the two arrived from Dubai. In a separate case in May one Iranian citizen en route from Dubai was caught in Tbilisi airport with undeclared USD 255,700.